Push Admin

Escudero eyes meeting with Romualdez to mend House, Senate ties

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1716517192424Senate-President-Francis-Escudero-and-House-Speaker-Martin-Romualdez.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="text-align:left">Senate President Francis Escudero and</span> House Speaker Martin Romualdez. <span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News; </em></span><em>House of Representatives handout</em></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA – Senate President Francis Escudero said he was planning to meet with </span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">House Speaker Martin Romualdez to mend fences between the two chambers over their differences on charter change and the People&#x27;s Initiative. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;He is my counterpart in the House and as I’ve said earlier, I expect to meet with him soon during the break to discuss the relationship, mending what needs to be mended, and establishing rules and protocols on how to coordinate with respect to what they are pushing for and with respect to what the Senate is pushing for, and to be able to coordinate and avoid misunderstandings or any miscommunication,&quot; Escudero said on Thursday. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> &quot;Sana maayos, wala nang palitan ng maanghang na salita dahil kahit naman di kami nagkakasundo sa 1 o 3 o maraming bagay, di rason yun para maghugas kami ng maduming damit ika nga sa publiko at magsabihan ng kung ano-anong salita na di parliamentary. Sa loob o sa labas man ng plenaryo, di bagay sa mababatas magsalita ng unparliamentary remarks, doon muna siguro kami magsisimula bago namin pag-usapan yung ibang mga bagay pa,&quot; he added. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/6/house-leaders-accuse-senate-sitting-on-charter-change-1741">House leaders say Senate &#x27;sitting on&#x27; charter change</a></span><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/27/house-leader-says-charter-change-will-die-without-senate-nod-1614">House leader says charter change will die without Senate nod</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Escudero earlier said most senators were wary about voting on Senate Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 or the proposed economic charter change as it could pave the way for a Supreme Court ruling that might dilute the Senate&#x27;s say on charter amendments. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Escudero pointed out that the House&#x27;s version copied the constitution&#x27;s vague provision that refers to amendments being approved by a vote of all the members of Congress. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This doesn&#x27;t say if the 2 chambers should vote together or separately. If they vote together, the votes of the 24 senators will be made useless by the 300-strong House.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Escudero seeks a guarantee that the 2 chambers will vote separately.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;&quot;Yun ang kailangan pa hanapin. Yun ang kailangan hanapin. Ako ba na nagtatanong at may duda kailangan maghanap o yung may gusto at nagtutulak nito ang kailangan maghanap ng solusyong yun?&quot; Escudero said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3043280"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Meanwhile, Romualdez said he would find out the Senate&#x27;s direction on economic constitutional amendments after meeting its new leader.</span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Well, let&#x27;s wait and see because we haven&#x27;t talked yet, we haven&#x27;t had a meeting,” he said.</span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The House in March approved on final reading Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which seeks to relax foreign ownership restrictions in public utilities, higher education, and advertising.</span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A similar measure—RBH No. 6—is pending with a Senate subcommittee, which recently held a public consultation in Baguio City to gauge public sentiments on proposed amendments to economic constitutional provisions.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/5/17/senators-kick-off-regional-consultation-on-economic-charter-change-2144">Senators kick off regional consultation on charter change</a></span><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“That’s the beauty of democracy, everything can be discussed. We can have meetings, caucuses, but we’re always confident because all of us, whether in Congress or the Senate, have the goal of serving the Filipino people,” Romualdez said.</span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong></strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES </strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In the meantime, Escudero said he was still figuring out the Senate’s legislative agenda under his watch. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He noted the past leadership asked senators for 5 priorities each, which would then be cross-checked with administration priorities so the Senate can come up with its priorities.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He said they will prioritize measures that would be easier to pass.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Kung may priority measure na hindi naman papasa sa Senado hindi na namin pag aaksayahan ng panahon at sasabihin namin sa Malacanang sayang na naman ang igugugol na oras din eh. O kung may panukala sila na tatanggapin  yung ilang pagbabagong gusto ng Senado, tatanggapin rin ng Kamara, yun posibleng mabuo, eh di yun ang isusulong namin,&quot; Escudero said. </span></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/22/escudero-marcos-didn-t-know-about-senate-shakeup-until-it-was-over-1714">Escudero: Marcos didn’t know about Senate shakeup until it was over</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/22/marcos-meets-with-escudero-other-senators-after-senate-shakeup-850">Marcos meets with Escudero, other senators after Senate shakeup</a><br/><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vITcZXJvSBY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Senate President Francis Escudero said he was planning to meet with House Speaker Martin Romualdez to mend fences between the two chambers over their differences on charter change and the People's Initiative.</p>

Senate President Francis Escudero said he was planning to meet with House Speaker Martin Romualdez to mend fences between the two chambers over their differences on charter change and the People's Initiative.